Want Their Attention? Keep it Simple

Stop for a second and consider the type of articles you tend to share with friends or your listeners.

If Dan Zarella, Hubspot’s Social Media Scientist, is right I’m guessing it tends to be the simplest stuff that gets your attention and warrants sharing.

In a guest post on ProBlogger.com Zarella talks about a research project he did using a number of stories from sources around the web.

First he used a standardized test that measures readability — the level of education required to understand a specific piece of content — to grade each article.

Then he compared the scores to how often an article was posted or shared.

He found an inverse relationship, the more complicated an article was the less often it was shared. Simpler content gets more traction.

That’s a great reminder of what’s important every time you open the mic. Keeping your breaks simple and direct increases the likelihood that the listener will understand your message and potentially even share it with a friend.

The more complex or convoluted your presentation is the more likely your listeners are to tune-out figuratively and literally.